The Girl with the Bright White Hair
by Tellmewhatyouwantmetosay
Summary: Rhoswen Hewitt is different, that much is certain. This is the story of my OC and her role in the Harry Potter saga. She has been bubbling in my subconscious for so long, I just had to introduce you to her! please R&R, particularly if you have plot ideas
1. Chapter 1: Rhoswen Hewitt and The Fay

This is a detailed (and I hope interesting) character profile and background for a character I came up with to fit into the Harry Potter saga. Don't worry! Her existence wouldn't mean enormous plot changes of huge diversion from the canon – I see her as the fourth member of the Harry-Ron-Hermione dream team, and she would simply slot into the story and accompany them throughout the books, with a few secondary plotlines of her own, perhaps. This character had been bubbling in my subconscious almost since I first started reading the Harry Potter books, ages ago. It's not that I think that she's missing or that JK has in any way omitted something, it's more that she is an interesting character that I think would fit well into the wizarding world. Satisfied that this isn't Potter heresy? If so, please read on…

Background

The first thing you should know about this character is that she is not human. At least not entirely. Her mother, long since either dead or estranged, was a faerie, a member of a clan of Fay (whom I have entirely made up, but don't worry – I have put a lot of thought into this). The Fay, although related distantly to fairies, pixies and elves, are almost entirely different from them, and have far more in common with Centaurs, Veela or other more humanoid creatures. Out of all magical beings they are the most physically similar to humans, and some theories suggest that the very first wizards and witches were results of the union between faeries and humans. However, relatively little is known for certain about the Fay due to their incredibly reclusive nature and low population numbers, and what little we know about them is mostly down to the extensive research conducted by Newt Scamander, in preparation for his bestseller 'Fantastic Beasts and where to find them'. It is from him that the following information is drawn.

The Fay: Appearance

The Fay are, physically, very similar to humans. Apart from a few features such as pointed ears and delicate features which point to their genetic ties with fairies and elves, they could almost be mistaken for humans. However their general colouring is quite different – faeries have pearly white, almost luminous skin, bright white hair and eyes which range from pale grey to ice-blue to almost white in colour (it should be emphasised that this physical description only refers to the clans of northern Europe, and it is very possible that clans in other parts of the world may look very different, but even the Fay themselves do not seem to know if such clans even exist). Although there seems to be no barrier to faeries being ugly or fat, the average attractiveness of a faerie is conspicuously higher than that of an average human. Perhaps the most mysterious aspect of a faerie's appearance is the way in which it changes in certain circumstances. The eyes of faeries using powerful magic or in a particularly emotional state are said to change colour, most commonly glowing a bright white. Although this change is temporary, if a faerie was to use dark magic, tradition is that their eyes would turn a deep, permanent black (this is a phenomenon which has never been seen in living memory, and is said either to be a reflection of the Fay's natural incompatibility with evil, or is perhaps the penalty for breaking Fay Law, which is notoriously strict).

Abilities

The Fay possess powerful, undefined magic, which does not require any focusing device such as wands or words in order to be used to full effect. Although the magic they command is clearly extensive, it is relatively unclear what it includes. Scamander's research concluded that their strengths concerned the manipulation of natural things and a level of psychic ability, but was unable to specify what that exactly meant, and many wizards are under the impression, to this day, that there is more or less nothing that the Fay are unable to do (this is of course an overstatement; the Fay are bound by the same restrictions shared by all magical beings – they cannot resurrect the dead, or bring into existence material possessions). The most striking aspect of Fay magic is, however, the ability to fly. Unlike their pixie and fairy relatives, the Fay do not need wings in order to achieve this, which is lucky since wings are cumbersome, prone to injury and make it quite difficult to find clothes that fit. Fay magic seems to either require no external action or vigorous physical action, and it has not yet been clearly decided which forms of magic require which technique, but Scamander himself suggested that this kind of categorisation was unnecessary, as the most important feature of Fay magic is the way in which it comes entirely naturally to members of the species; powers are improved by practice, not study. The popular idea that the Fay are immortal is entirely false – a misconception based on the remarkably long natural life-span of faeries, combined with the subtlety of their physical aging. The Fay are particularly and often fatally vulnerable to Dementors, and have no natural or magical protection against them, as they are unable to produce patronuses.

Society

The Fay are a rare and reclusive species, and so describing the intricate inner workings of a Fay clan is near impossible. However, some characteristics of Fay society have been revealed. There are around five Fay clans known to be in existence in northern Europe (the locations and names of which, due to a condition of Scamander's permission to conduct his research, have never been disclosed), each comprising of up to around one thousand faeries. Their natural habitat appears to be in large forests, as far as possible from the human world, and the majority of these clans are said to be found in countries of Gaelic, Celtic and Nordic origins. Although it is unclear whether or not the Fay have a recognisable political system, they do definitely have a strict and ancient law code, one which is enforced both my magic and social approval. Although corporal and capital punishment have never been accepted in Fay society, the magical marking of lawbreakers (as in the case of dark magic) is commonplace, as is the practice of expulsion and exclusion as a punishment. Thankfully, the Fay are generally inclined to accept and adhere to the majority of the ancient laws, but it is possible that this in itself makes the treatment of deviants more severe and possibly also more blind. Scamander believed that Fay Law was, on the whole, fair and understandable, but felt that some laws, particularly those that encouraged the Fay to remain withdrawn from the wizarding world, were outdated and failed to take into account the increased tolerance witches and wizards were exhibiting towards non-human magical beings. Despite his best efforts, Scamander failed to dislodge the lack of trust that Fay leaders felt towards wizard institutions, and to this day the Fay are, for the majority of the wizarding world, as much creatures of myth as they themselves are to muggles.

During his time spent with the Fey, Scamander found himself increasingly uncomfortable with the idea of classing them as 'creatures' or 'beasts', so advanced was their intelligence and power. He decided, in the end, not to insult them by including them in his book, choosing to leave their introduction into the mainstream magical world until such a time as it would be ready to treat them with the respect he felt they deserved.

Rhoswen Hewitt: Character Profile

Birth name: Rhoswen Hewitt

Name meaning: Rhoswen is Gaelic/Celtic for 'White Rose', and Hewitt means 'Little Smart One' in English. Although Rhoswen is believed to be her birth name, Hewitt was added later by the Ministry of Magic for paperwork reasons.

Other names: Mainly referred to as Rose throughout her life, referred to as 'The Ghost', in 1997 and 1998.

Birthdate: 1st January 1980 – as estimated by Albus Dumbledore, as there are no official records of her birth.

FAMILY & FRIENDS

Ancestry: Half-faerie, half-wizard.

Mother: Believed to be named Haeronwen of the Beriadanwen Fay clan– died shortly after her daughter's birth; natural causes.

Father: An unknown wizard (or is he?)

Childhood: Born in an Irish wizarding hospital and transferred to England as part of the MoM's orphan relocation scheme. Put into the care of a family of traditionalist wizards who cast her off at around 6 years old, when her fairie magic surfaced. Due to a Ministry paperwork mix-up she was not successfully re-homed, and all records of her foster parents mysteriously disappeared. Found by Albus Dumbledore at the age of 7, named and taught to read and write, and lodged permanently in the Leaky Cauldron. She began to live with the Weasley family at the age of 12.

Location of childhood home: Unknown, Diagon Alley, The Burrow, Hogwarts.

Pet: Thorontor the peregrine falcon – 'Thor' for short. Thorontor means 'strength of an eagle' in the Fay tongue, part of Rose's attempt to relieve her pet's possible anxieties about his small size. He gains confidence after the arrival of Pigwidgeon. Not an officially accepted pet at Hogwarts, something she gets around by claiming (on shaky grounds) that he doesn't actually live in the castle, and so doesn't fall under the school's jurisdiction.

APPEARANCE 

Eye colour: Ice blue. Her faerie blood means that her eyes become brighter and whiter the more powerful the magic she is using.

Hair color: White. She varies her hairstyles greatly throughout the book, from a deliberately wry 'pixie' cut to longer than waist length. Her hair grows faster than a normal human's.

Other characteristics: Slightly unusual, ethereal look, but also very beautiful. Small and slight, with very pale, slightly luminous skin. After her visit to her clan in the summer before her seventh year she returns with the traditional white markings of her clan on her left arm and right leg

HOGWARTS

First year: 1991.

House: Gryffindor.

Yule Ball date: George Weasley

Qualifications: 9 OWLs: Astronomy A; Care of Magical Creatures O; Charms O; Defence Against the Dark Arts E; Divination O; Herbology O; History of Magic A; Potions E; Transfiguration O. Rose is naturally best at more practical magic, especially that related to nature, but missed out on an O for Defence against the Dark Arts as her methods of defence were 'unconventional, to say the least'. Despite believing Divination to be utter rubbish, her ability to gauge what Professor Trelawney most wanted her to predict earned her an easy, if insincere O. It was nothing short of a miracle that she passed her History of Magic OWL, and she was saved only by her passionately argued essay on the rights of non-human magical beings (the rest of the paper was atrocious, and her handwriting almost unreadable).

Quidditch: Joins the Griffindor team in her fifth year as a seeker while Harry is banned, but has to have magical limitations imposed upon her to prevent her flying without the aid of her broomstick. Changes to chaser in her sixth year, second highest goal-scorer in the team after Ginny Weasley.  
Awards, etc.: Quidditch Cup in her fifth year; Special Award for Services to the School in her second year.

SKILLS, MAGICAL DEVICES, ETC.

Wand: Rowan and Unicorn hair, 12 3/4 inches, slim but strong. It was debated several times between the school governors, the Ministry and Dumbledore as to whether she should be allowed a wand, being only part-human, but half-faeries were decided to be a close enough match to be worthy of equal wand rights, even though a legislative change had to occur in order to allow this.

Broomstick: Shabby school broom.

Organizations & affiliations: Gryffindor Quidditch chaser; Dumbledore's Army; Slug Club; SPEW, The Order of the Phoenix.

Career: Was always unsure of her career, but eventually became a campaigner for non-human-magical-creature rights, particularly in relation to rights and aid for the almost extinct Fay and for half-humans. Her campaigns led to many changes to the laws on these issues, and she became a symbol of change for the Fay, leading to greater integration and a better relationship between wizards and faeries. Her own experience of magic led her to write several influential books on the nature of magic itself.

Skills: Her own faerie-witch magic amalgamation, which allows her to use magic without a wand. This kind of magic is more like faerie magic, and consists of thoughts, intentions and imagination rather than specific spells like wizard magic. Rose claims that faeries have a different relationship with magic – they 'have' magic, whereas wizards merely 'channel' it. The combination of the two kinds of magic makes her a formidable opponent, but in highly stressful situations her magic can become unpredictable – subject to her emotions rather than rational thought. This faerie magic also includes the ability to fly. She can understand and influence animals, and this psychic ability also allows her to communicate to a limited extent with humans. The degree to which she can 'read' others and communicate her thoughts to them depends on her emotional closeness to and understanding of that individual, as well as their physical proximity.

Patronus: Faeries do not have patronuses, as they are particularly vulnerable to Dementors and have little to no defences against them.

Boggart/Worst fear: a strange mist which covers her and prevents her from being able to see, hear or feel.

Amortentia (love potion) smells: Lemon sorbet, sea air, firewhisky, and the gunpowder from fireworks.

Criminal? Rose was nicknamed 'the Ghost' for her elusive nature by the Death Eater-controlled Ministry, and was hunted alongside Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.

I have held back certain information – if you wish me to reveal more, please express your interest!


	2. Chapter 2: Lost and Found

The Ministry of Magic, Second Floor:

Albus Dumbledore was furious. In his long and eventful life, he could recall being furious so rarely that he had almost forgotten what true fury felt like, but this was it alright, he thought, as he marched down the long, official-looking ministry corridor towards a sign that simply read 'DOH'. Striding impatiently past the stammering junior department member that he encountered on entering the Department for the Orphaned and Homeless, he flung open a second door and came to an abrupt halt in front of the head of department's desk. Cassius Mildew blanched visibly at this unexpected and frankly terrifying arrival, and tentatively quavered 'Do you have an appointment?'

The glint in the Headmaster's eye hardened, and Mildew gulped, 'Well, I suppose… if it's urgent… '

Dumbledore nodded curtly and settled himself into the chair opposite the now positively sweating Mildew, and paused. Perhaps the most terrifying thing about an enraged Albus Dumbledore was the almost total lack of obvious physical signs – he barely ever shouted or glared, and even his take on 'marching' came across more like a purposeful glide. No, Dumbledore's wrath was noticeable only in the glint of his eye and the furrow in his brow, along with an overall sense of impending doom, and it was a wrath that was nigh on impossible to miss. And Cassius, whatever his flaws, was not known for his obliviousness.

'Mr Mildew,' Dumbledore began, 'an unacceptable state of affairs has been called to my attention which, were your department anything other than woefully neglectful of its duties, should never have arisen. You have been head of this department for how long?'

'Approaching two years, Mr – I mean Professor – Dumbledore.'

'And,' frowned the Professor, his piercing blue eyes boring into the watery grey pair of the now pathetically clammy wizard across the desk, 'exactly how many of the unfortunate young witches and wizards placed under your care have you utterly abandoned?'

'What?' spluttered Mildew, 'What an accusation, I can assure you I have been most attentive in-'

'I have one name for you, Mildew', cut in Dumbledore, 'Rhoswen Hewitt.'

If the Head of the Department for Orphans and the Homeless had been sweaty before, that was nothing to the copious perspiration dewing across his wide-set brow. He drew out an embroidered (though not entirely clean) handkerchief, and, dabbing his forehead, replied.

'Oh. Yes. I see.'

He gazed helplessly across his cluttered desk for a moment, but the silent storm cloud that was Albus Dumbledore remained silent. Taking a shaky breath, he went on.

'Well, you see, I – I mean, oh merlin I'd completely forgotten… Terrible mix-up, see, and my being new to the department and – well, it was so out of the blue, her previous family toddling off and all that. And she was such an unusual case – her parentage – well, we didn't really know where to put her! And I was so busy so I put Wilbur on the case, but then he was called away to sort out that nasty case of that boy who didn't get along in his new home in Paisley, and her files just sort of – got lost.'

He trailed off in a very small, guilty-sounding voice, then added in a rush,

'And we did check at the house but she wasn't there…'

The ice in Dumbledore's voice sent shivers down Cassius's spine as he asked the question he had dreaded; 'Why didn't you go looking for her?'

'Well we were going to but – but it was a very busy time for us and I had just got the position-'

'So you naturally put your job first. You sacrificed a little girl for your professional reputation.'

Mildew seemed to collapse internally at these words, and a small noise that sounded like 'well', escaped from him like the squeak of air escaping from a balloon. Shaking his head in disgust, the Headmaster rose to leave.

'You might be interested to know that I have found young Miss Rhoswen, and that she is alive and well. I will be taking charge of her care from now on, as it is clear to me that you are entirely unfit for your position. Feel at liberty to submit your resignation on ground of professional ineptitude as soon as you think appropriate.'

Mildew sat in utterly defeated silence and watched Dumbledore stride briskly out of the office, feeling his career crumbling into ashes with every step.

Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, Diagon Alley:

Florean smiled genially at the strange little girl sitting on one of the stools next to the shop counter, happily devouring a dandelion, burdock and lemon sundae. Even now that he was used to it, he still couldn't help wondering at her blatant out-of-the-ordinary-ness. Approaching eight years old, the girl before him was small and slight, with almost luminously pale skin and intense ice-blue eyes. She had short, messy hair, made unusual by the fact that it was the pure, unadulterated white of freshly-fallen snow. Add to this her pretty but strangely pixie-like features, and the whole effect was of something not of this world. Particularly when you took into account her unique abilities. Chuckling to himself at her enthusiasm for what was undoubtedly a rather eccentric choice of ice cream, he busied himself in wiping down the mismatched tables that populated his little shop, wondering how long it would be before Dumbledore got back from the Ministry.

He supposed that this whole business was a travesty, and felt more than a little guilty for having taken so long to spot that something was amiss, but he had to admit it was hard to be too worried when the supposed victim was taking full advantage of his hospitality as if nothing was, or had ever been wrong. In fact, one of the reasons that Florean had failed to notice the problem for over a year had been the consistently upbeat and carefree disposition of the little girl he internally thought of as 'Lady Rose of the Bottomless Stomach'. Rose, 'or Rhoswen, as I suppose I should call her', had been a regular visitor to his shop for quite some time, and ever since their first meeting (in which Rose had gazed with such long at all the flavours on display that, when she finally admitted to having no money, Florean couldn't quite bring himself to send her away empty –handed) they had developed an unwritten agreement in which Florean gave Rose free ice creams in return for entertaining chitter-chatter that prevented his job from ever getting dull. The shopkeeper didn't have any children of his own, but he knew that if he ever had a daughter, he would want her to be like Rose – she was intelligent, friendly, and somewhat mischievous without crossing the line to bad behaviour. He couldn't believe that in all that time he had never got wind of the problems with her home life, or become suspicious at the amount of time she was spending in Diagon Alley unaccompanied by an adult. Perhaps he hadn't been listening hard enough. The thought that he might have unintentionally ignored her subtle pleas for help made his insides twist with guilt. She could have all the ice creams she wanted.

The bell on the shop door tingled, disturbing Florean from his mental turmoil, and Albus Dumbledore entered his shop with a warm smile.

'You're looking much cheerier than before, if you don't mind me saying so sir' the ice cream man grinned.

'Why yes, thank you Florean, I believe that all that needs to be seen to concerning the DOH has been, ahem, seen to.'

Florean couldn't help thinking that 'DOH' couldn't be a better acronym for the people that were responsible for this mess. He strongly suspected that their department would be thinking things along the lines of 'doh' at this very moment.

'All sorted then, Professor?'

'I believe so, my dear fellow! I have asked Tom to arrange a permanent room for her in the Leaky Cauldron for the time being, until we can find a suitable family to settle her down with. I have, of course, made a few enquiries, but it would seem that foster families are thin on the ground at the moment, and also suspect that Rose has spent so much time in Diagon Alley over the last year that the people here are probably the closest thing she has to a family right now – I don't want to be the one who takes that away from her.'

Dumbledore turned towards the young girl, who had been surveying them pensively over the remnants of her sundae. 'Does that sound about right to you?'

Rose nodded wisely, mumbling around a mouth full of lemon sorbet. Eyes twinkling, Dumbledore continued.

'I will be arranging for someone to come and teach her a few things during the rest of her time here – she has informed me, in a tone of extreme exasperation, that her foster family did not put much effort into her education. Although that has by no means quelled her determination, her attempts at blending in at Muggle schools were, shall we say, eventful.' Rose caught the Headmaster's eye and smiled shiftily – being unhelpfully conspicuous was a particular talent of hers. 'But now, Rose, you are in good hands. It may take a while but we will find you a family, and you won't have to face anything like this alone until you are ready for it, not as long as I have a say. Although I must say you did a remarkable job by yourself!'

Glancing down at his many-handed pocket watch, Dumbledore blinked in surprise.

'Dear me, look at the time! I asked poor Tom to have Rose's rooms sorted by four, and he must have been waiting for at least twenty minutes for her to check in… how time flies! I suppose we'd better go then, Rose.'

Dumbledore warmly shook Florean's hand, and gestured Rose towards the door. Following him out, Rose paused as she passed the man who had been a much-needed source of friendship (and ice cream) for so long. She would still get to see him every day, she supposed, but somehow she was sure it would never be quite the same – although she would still continue to chat with him over sundae after sundae for years to come, she would never need him like she had over this past year – she was no longer alone. The seven year old with the white hair considered this for a moment, then stretched up to kiss the shopkeeper on the cheek.

'Thank you', she whispered.


End file.
